The Heart Where I Have Roots
by NatesMama
Summary: Brennan and Booth are reunited after three long months apart. A birthday fic for Bailey80.


**So, my good friend Bailey (Bailey80 here) had a birthday last week. And I promised her a Booth and Brennan reunion fic, complete with smut, in celebration. Well, my smut muse sort of took a hit and this came out very slowly, but I was determined because she deserves it…so here it is. My idea of how the big reunion should go. Fingers crossed.**

**Happy Birthday, Bailey. I hope the day (and this OS) was everything you wanted and deserve.**

**PS. You should check out Bailey's take on the post-finale story called Stolen Summer. It's fantastic.**

**PPS. The title of this story is a line from the Pablo Neruda poem _If You Forget Me_.**

**PPPS. Thanks to Squinttoyou, Rynogeny and some1tookmyname for the read-throughs and beta-ing. You ladies rock.**

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The Heart Where I Have Roots

"The FBI deeply regrets the pain and suffering inflicted upon Dr. Brennan and hopes, with the arrest order having been vacated and the promise of our refusal to engage in any and all further prosecution, that Dr. Brennan and her family can be reunited and move on from this incident."

Max watched as his daughter stared, disbelieving, at the televised press conference. While his satisfaction at the chagrined and embarrassed speech given by Director Mueller made him smile, it was the silent agent standing next to the head of the FBI that had drawn Brennan's attention.

Her first thought when the press conference had started was that Booth looked _awful_. He had dark circles under his eyes; he looked thinner and completely exhausted. Her stomach clenched in guilt and her fingers unconsciously twisted together in her lap as she glanced once at Christine sleeping peacefully before her gaze was once again directed to the television.

Director Mueller stepped slightly to the side and gestured towards Booth, who looked to his boss questioningly. "Agent Booth, is there something that you would like to say?"

Brennan could see that Booth was conflicted, but he moved to stand in front of the podium. He looked to the side, where someone was standing that drew his attention, someone who seemed to be encouraging him because he nodded once, and then faced the bank of microphones and cameras.

"I am Special Agent Seeley Booth." He cleared his throat nervously, looking back to his left again, before continuing. "Dr. Brennan is my partner, and Christine is my-" His breath hitched in his chest and Brennan's heart clenched in response. "Christine is my daughter. They have been on the run from bogus murder charges since the death of Dr. Brennan's friend, Ethan Sawyer. Because the suspected culprit is a computer genius, he was able to manipulate the system to frame Dr. Brennan and give her no choice but to flee for her life. While I was not aware of her plans, I fully supported them." At this, Booth made sure to look directly into the camera. "And now, due to the unwavering support of her team at the Jeffersonian, US Assistant District Attorney Caroline Julian and my direct supervisor, FBI Assistant Deputy Director Andrew Hacker, she has been exonerated. I'm sure Dr. Brennan would agree with me when I say that we are eternally grateful for everything they've done. We can never repay the loyalty they've shown our family and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts." Brennan watched, tears in her eyes, as Booth took a deep breath and focused his gaze, seeming to look right at her.

"And on a more personal note, I'd like to say directly to her…Bones, its over. Come home to me."

B&B

For the first time in almost three months, Booth slept in his own bed. When Brennan left, he had tried that first night but being enveloped by her scent and the haunting visual of the silent baby monitor on her side table had him tossing and turning endlessly, so he ended up sitting on their back deck, sleepless, until morning. All night, he had stared into the darkness, wondering what he could have done differently, what clues he missed, what he could have said to make her stay. After barely surviving that long first night, he stayed with Angela and Hodgins, both of whom were more than happy to have him around, if only to have that tenuous connection to Brennan through him.

Now, as he lay in their bed once again, he dreamed. His dreams were mostly memories of their early relationship moments. The first time he took her out to dinner and was able to actually hold her hand and kiss her goodnight…the first time someone at the lab realized they were together…telling the team that they were having a baby…their lives together, intertwined, flashed through his mind as he slept on.

Around 2 AM, Booth's FBI senses kicked in and a noise in the hallway jerked him awake. He immediately reached for the weapon he had begun keeping under his pillow and sat up, deliberately quieting his breathing so he could hear every creak and groan of the house. When a light step and a rustling sound came from where he was sure was Christine's nursery, it hit him like a shot to the gut.

They were home.

With all the skill acquired as a world-class sniper, Booth slid from their bed and crept down the hallway to the nursery. The door was open, and a faint light shone across the floor, broken up randomly by shadowy shapes turning in time with the mobile Parker had created for his baby sister. He stepped across the hall and leaned against the doorjamb, silently observing as Brennan set their daughter down in her crib.

"You should be much more comfortable in your own bed, Christine." Brennan whispered. Her hand ghosted over the baby, taking in the soft rise and fall of her chest which indicated deep sleep. "I know that having to sleep with me has been comforting for you…and for me. But now that we are home, we should both be in our own beds. That is, if your father can ever forgive me for taking you away from him and lets me share his bed once again." Her voice caught on 'forgive' and Booth's heart swelled in sympathy. He couldn't let her believe any longer that she had anything but his love and support and total, unqualified acceptance.

"Bones." His voice broke into her self-pitying reverie and she turned towards the doorway with a terrified, but heartbreakingly hopeful look on her face.

Booth swallowed reflexively, his jaw clenching in an effort to stop himself from bursting into a bout of completely unmanly sobs. He uncurled the tensed fist at his side and raised his arm slowly, opening his hand and extending his fingers, beckoning her. "Come here, Bones."

Brennan could see the love and forgiveness and another emotion she didn't have the capacity to name and a sob broke from her throat as she stepped towards him, her own hand coming out to reach for his. She couldn't tear her eyes from Booth's intense stare; instead letting her fingers reach for his blindly. When their fingertips met, his curling up as hers curled down, intertwining, Booth gave into the impulses shooting through his entire body and pulled her forward into his arms, her face nestling into his neck and arms winding behind his back desperately as his other hand moved up to hold her nape tightly but tenderly. They both stood quietly, swaying back and forth in the moonlight that filtered through the nursery window, the only sounds accompanying the moment coming from their mingled cries and the sweet music of their daughter's measured breaths.

B&B

When Brennan finally raised her head, she started to speak in hushed, desperate tones. "Booth, I am so, so-"

"Shh." Booth placed one finger over her lips and shook his head. "We have all the time in the world for that. Later. Tomorrow, whenever." His eyes softened at the relief he saw in hers, and he nodded once before continuing. "But let me say this, okay? The end of my world was unrecognizable and upside down while you were gone. But there was one thing that remained the same. You. Even when the world was falling apart, you were my constant... my touchstone. And I never lost faith because I never doubted you."

His confession took her breath away and the only response her lips could form was to lean up and kiss him, softly at first and then almost desperately, pouring every emotion coursing through her veins into the act. His arms moved to hold her even closer and a groan escaped from between them, neither sure which of them had made the noise.

With a quick, tender glance at his still-sleeping daughter, Booth pulled Brennan along with him out of the nursery, walking backwards towards their bedroom, his lips never leaving hers for more than a moment as they navigated the darkened hallway. He felt her hesitate slightly as they crossed into their room, but his insistent momentum towards the bed overrode her worry and she pushed him the last few feet until the backs of his knees hit the mattress and he fell backwards, tumbling to the bed and taking her with him. When she landed on him, a small gasp escaped her as she found herself pressed against the hard evidence of the fact that he had missed her desperately. She tilted her head back and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, affecting an innocent expression that had him hardening more than he ever thought possible.

"Is that…" Brennan glanced down suggestively, "for me?"

Her tight nipples, clearly evident through her blouse, belied her coy tone of voice. With a growl and a move so fast Brennan barely had time to catch her breath, Booth had her flipped over onto her back, his hips nestled firmly in the cradle of her spread legs. With what she could only describe as a filthy smirk, he slid one hand between them and popped the snap on her jeans, pulling the zipper down as well. He managed to work the waistband down far enough to slip one large hand inside the barrier as he leaned down to kiss her, his lips moving across her face and past her sensitive earlobe.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured into the curve of her neck. "Oh, God, so beautiful. So beautiful...so...hmmm." The next words were a mumble against her skin, but she thought he'd said "slippery." His fingers had reached their goal, and she arched her back, trying to squirm closer.

"Booth…" She breathed his name into his hair, pressing her lips against any part of him she could reach.

He had resumed the humming, pausing momentarily to murmur, "Love you, love you so much..."

"I love you, too…" She unconsciously moved her hips up, her timing unspeakably perfect as one long finger found her clit and tapped it, once. Her eyes flew open and her back arched as liquid fire shot through her, pulling her almost entirely off the bed. She gasped his name in disbelief as Booth raised his head from her neck and grinned.

"Was it good for you, Bones?"

"Oh my God…" Her breaths had become gasps as he continued to move his finger on her now almost-painfully sensitive button. "I've never…oh, God…so fast…" Booth watched, mesmerized, as her eyes lightened and then darkened, narrowing dangerously. Brennan's hands clenched into his shoulders, pulling him even nearer until his hand slipped from her warmth below and he was flush up against her. As her mouth moved over his, a small moan escaped his throat, and her arms wound around his waist, frantically grasping at his shirt, tugging it from the waistband of his sweats.

He ignored the pull of his shirt, instead cradling her face and kissing her again, soul deep. He slid his hands down her neck to caress her collarbone and the sweet hollow of her breasts before moving back up. He ghosted his thumbs over her cheeks, holding her head in place. He could taste her sweet breath a split second before contact and the kiss began softly, before they caught fire again and their open mouths were gliding against each other, tongues battling for possession.

Brennan splayed her hands on his naked back, allowing her fingers to explore each well-defined muscle. Booth groaned into her mouth at the feel of her hot hands sliding across his skin, touching off a surge of electricity that ran through to the core of him. Wrenching himself from her mouth, he finally relented and quickly pulled his shirt off, flinging it across the room. He felt her hands on him again, this time moving up his chest, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. They ended at his shoulders, and he paused, his breath coming in short gasps. With a patience he himself couldn't believe, he placed his hands at her waist, moving his hands slowly up, taking her blouse with it.

Brennan leaned forward and pressed her lips against his chest, and he felt the light touch of her tongue against his skin. With a sharp intake of breath, Booth bunched the fabric of blouse in his fingers and pulled upwards. She lifted her hands off his chest, allowing him to pull the constricting clothing off her, and soon she was pressed against him, the silk of her bra not enough to contain the desire surging through her. His mouth found hers again as his fingers slid up her sides to her back, deftly finding the catch and releasing the hooks. He followed the releasing fabric with his hands, helping it down her arms. Never leaving her mouth, he ran one hand up her chest and cupped the soft fullness he found, eliciting a cross between a gasp and a moan that he felt rather than heard.

As much as he enjoyed the hot and electric feel, it wasn't enough, and given the way her hands were alternately caressing and scraping down his back and chest, he knew Brennan felt the same way. What he didn't expect was the sudden clench of her thighs around his hips as she sucked his bottom lip between both of hers, releasing it with a 'pop' as she lifted her upper body in an impressive show of strength and flipped them both over, landing with her hot core nestled snugly against his impossibly hard erection.

Brennan moved her torso up and down, sliding their bodies together to create a friction that was almost unbearable, even through two layers of clothing. Booth whimpered as she placed her palms flat on his chest and flicked his taut nipples with her thumbnails, teasing the tiny peaks until they throbbed. She leaned forward and eased his pain with slow, lingering licks around each bud before moving her mouth down his torso with a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses that had Booth reflexively thrusting his hips into her, desperate for some sort of skin-to-skin contact. Her husky chuckle as she reached his waistband was enough to make him realize that not only was Brennan in complete control, but that he really, really liked it. Her glance up his body into his eyes as she slipped his sweats over his hips and down his thighs was smoldering, and when she finally reached her goal she wasted no time in slipping the silky head of him between her soft lips and hummed, drawing from him a groaning gasp that turned into a long moan as she took as much of him as she could into her hot, wet mouth. She flicked the tip of her tongue along the base of his shaft as she held him deep, and his exhaled whisper of her name had her lips turning up around his warm, hard flesh. She clearly enjoyed the power she held over him in this position and he was harder than he had ever been at the thought of being at her mercy.

Soon, sooner than he normally liked, Booth began to feel the familiar pull in his abdomen that signaled his release. He reached down and ran his hand through her soft hair, calling to her. "Bones…babe, come here." He smiled as she sat up and delicately wiped her mouth, her answering grin just a little bit naughty. "Take the rest of your clothes off and lay with me."

Still smiling, Brennan shucked out of her jeans and panties quickly, bringing the covers with her as she nestled herself next to his warm, naked body. Her hands continued to roam his hard, muscled form, re-memorizing every inch of the man she had missed so very desperately.

In response, Booth's large, rough hands slid from her hip to her thigh and then back again, soothing the last of her anxiety and relearning her as well. Her softness against his calloused skin was a feeling he was sure he would never be able to truly forget, but to be reminded was as soothing to him mentally as it was to her physically. He took one long finger and traced each pink, perky nipple, fascinated with the reactions her body made as the skin crinkled in response to his ministrations. Her deep sigh pulled his eyes to hers, and the desire and love and trust he saw there brought a surprising burning sensation to his own. He began to move down the bed, dropping an occasional kiss on her flesh until he reached the foot of the bed.

Looking up at her face, he raised an eyebrow in question and she nodded, opening her legs slightly and giving him a perfect view of the damp curls that were his ultimate goal. Groaning, he began kissing her feet. Slowly worshipping her instep, working his way up her delicate ankle, running his tongue along her calf, and kissing her thigh…she gasped at a particularly ticklish spot, and a devilish smile graced his features as she writhed under him. "Please, Booth…please." He chuckled inwardly, she was already begging him and he hadn't even gotten to the good part yet. He breathed softly on her already glistening folds, admiring the view. Knowing that she was still so hot for him without any further intimate touching made his cock throb in anticipation.

"God, you're amazing." Booth wasted no time in dipping his tongue into her silky wetness, grazing her clit lightly and placing soft kisses to her lips. "So damn beautiful…." He continued his running commentary, sliding two fingers inside her tightness and slowly drawing them in and out, eliciting a growl of approval from her. "So gorgeous…so soft and wet and tight…and so mine." He breathed the last word, easing his fingers out of her and sliding up her body, pulling her legs around his hips as he moved. "I need to be inside you, Bones. I need you."

Smoky blue eyes met smoldering brown ones. "Then have me."

Brennan raised her arms and pulled him to her, cradling him in between her thighs and welcoming his hardness into her softness with a low, keening moan. "I love you, Booth…so much, so much. I missed you so much…" Their joining was like riding out a storm, intense and out of control and full of electricity.

"Bones…" Booth wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer and changing his angle while his other hand tenderly caressed her breasts, one then the other. "I love you…" She felt his hands gripping her thighs and heat spread throughout her, settling in her abdomen.

Moving together, their cries and moans increased with each thrust of his hips against hers, the friction becoming unbearable as he grabbed her waist and began thrusting harder, holding her eyes with his and letting every emotion he felt pour out of him. "You're amazing…so perfect, so soft, so gorgeous…"

Her entire body was like a live wire, tensed and energetic at the same time."Oh, God…Booth, I'm coming…don't stop!" Brennan locked her legs around his waist and arched into him desperately, taking every inch of him into her body and holding on for dear life. "So…so good, so good!" Reaching her peak, she cried out over and over, her head thrashing on the pillow below and arching her breasts up, desperately digging her nails into his biceps.

Feeling her clamp down around him, Booth couldn't hold on any longer and felt his orgasm start. "Christ, Bones…feels so good…hang on, baby…." He clutched her to him tighter and poured himself into her, losing his rhythm and collapsing on top of her, both of them taking deep, gasping breaths as they continued to feel the aftershocks of their lovemaking.

With a mighty heave, Booth pulled himself off and over her, landing on his back with a deep groan. "Dear God, woman." He struggled to catch his breath. "That was…I don't think I have the words."

Brennan was trying to regain control of her own breathing, a small collection of aftershocks still zinging through her body as she shuddered in response. Booth, mistaking her leftover passion for a chill, sat up slightly and pulled the blankets over them, turning her to cocoon into his side, wrapping her in his arms.

They lay quietly, the only sound their slowing breaths. They stared into each other's eyes, all the things they needed to say to each other passing between them without a single word escaping their lips. Finally, Booth smiled and leaned down and pressed his lips against hers softly, one hand cradling her jaw while the other held her close. Breaking the kiss, Brennan wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled into his side, hiding the tear that slipped down her cheek without warning.

She sighed and snuggled against him, feeling warm and protected for the first time in three long months. It was all, finally, over and the reality of that truth began to settle over her. The cold, overwhelming immensity of their ordeal had lifted, now that she had her family close, together again, and safe.


End file.
